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**Luna and Thief:

The Orange Isles Chapter Two: Beyond Dead Eyes**

Dawn shattered the horizon while Griffin had already been awake, dressed, and held a thermos in his hands. He just stared out at the trainer village in silence and gingerly drank in silence as Absol watched him. Leafeon had been long asleep or rested in a way that looked like he had. It took Griffin no time at all to be ready to go. Absol had to walk past a sight that had only rested in black and white.

These colorless, crisp leaves rested over her head as they passed by this beach with pure white sand... at least to her. This shade of fragile steel-light grey glowed and glimmered with sparkles of diamonds. Sunlight; it made her world darken as she squinted her tired and heavy eyes. Eventually, something bumped her ankle and she tossed her head downward.

"Pikachu?" She'd say with this soft and awkward cough; have in preparation to attack. The break of her posture left a splash of amber-gold and crystalline aquamarine in her eyes. The waves jostled in and out of her black and white disposition.

Although, it was never that simple. She watched the smaller rodent scratch the back of his skull and silently nod in reply. His entire fur was in this neutral silver; these streaks of lighter shades ran down his fur, as though it held a pattern no different than a grassy field. She left her eyes to gently dilate and focus in sharply.

"I know what you're doing." She'd express in moments after and that left Pikachu to nervously grin. She caught onto the stutter of laughter that went with it.

You're always obvious to read. "Your climbing the trees to avoid talking to me; constantly running the conversations through your head. You can barely offend me; it takes a lot." Pikachu went numb and swallowed awkwardly in reply. "And you left your Pokeball in the morning, because you know that everyone is either injured or asleep. So, we're alone; save for Leafeon over there."

Scarf guiltily looked down after all that.

"I... know. You're not wrong at all." His voice had the caricature of fertile brush, grass. It left her in a gentle rush, one that made her narrow her eyes at him. That hint of clear age, much like her own made her nose twist; his voice had been utterly delightful whenever she heard it. "After... Vermillion I wanted you to have space and to think about it. I apologize if I... spoke. I was shocked when you came to talk to me... a little panicked." The Absol huffed gently and followed Griffin.

"You didn't, in fact; I thought it was a wonderful conversation." She replied "I ju-"

"You're hardly much older than I, we're three years apart for our species at most. I..."

"We could be stuck in this conversation for the rest of our years, with all your stutters." It left Pikachu rigid and red faced, but Absol tenderly laughed in reply. He's strangely obedient, kind; his shyness is strangely charming - I haven't seen a Pokemon with one like that in years. It makes me feel uneasy; I can't catch on a lick of bloodlust or... a lack of it. It's neutral.

It's normal... "You can be strange." The Pikachu shyly scratched its ears in a way that made her bat an eye. It looked peculiar; he rolled his paws up his ears; as though to keep them pointed high before he folded them down to his chest to claw at them. Like a satellite that searched for a signal.

"Not really, just quirky!" There was this playful ignorance that Absol caught onto for a moment; something with sport or spunk but calm. It left her tail to slash one way and back again, she felt it fall asleep.

"Well you certainly look rather... different; especially with your ears perked so high." Absol replied and followed Griffin until they touched down on an island known as Sunburst.

The general conversations between them were short, simple... and utterly delightful for her.

Griffin asked around, as per usual... but he got nothing out of this strange island and some myth about a Crystal Onix. The water caught her attention, by the time they finally got there; with her stuck by Griffin's side in silence throughout the entire trip. If it weren't for Pikachu and his endless chatter, weak but calm jokes and his all-around glow... the trip would have been like any other. It left her confused, violence filled her thoughts occasionally. He does cling around quite a bit. A quirk in her brow left the Absol to shake her head, a light and humble gesture. One that left her in confusion as she stuck beside Griffin. Scarf only tried to do strange things, as though to try and impress her; but he felt tamer about it. Like he kept himself entertained with newer things

Like an old dog that taught itself tricks.

"I don't need to be impressed." Her own words from Vermillion flooded her thoughts; her long silent response towards Scarf's question. "I can't just accept love. I can't. There's always a price tag on it." She could remember his playful laugh, that nervous smile behind a tired but kind face.

"There's never any price that's not worth paying; Not for love, family. It's worth every cent and sometimes I feel that I can't spark because I paid that price. I believe in that, something hopeful for all of it." Absol never asked what it was or how his measly words could make any sense. Not even a lick crossed her nose in that regard and through the blur and the occasional oceanic spray of grays that told her to ease. Absol soon found herself in another island.

This one went by the name of Mikan and the moment they stepped off the boat mid-afternoon; her blood ran cold. She felt this tremble down her back and along her pelt, one that left her to sharply exhale and sniff the air. A faint rush left her spine rigid.

B... Bandit!? No.... Yes...? What is this scent? I know it but I can't remember where - I'm not a damn Poochyena. Absol touched her nose to the wind once more and then strayed from Griffin's side in a sudden bolt.

"A - Absol?" Griffin made a sound and then looked over at Brad, Aura had jostled and jumped nearby her.

Then Scarf did... Leafeon. Absol simply followed her nose down a corridor of alleyways just by the seaboard side which led to a collection of old warehouses. It had the allure and the scent of a fishery, a strong and overpowered smell which left her to frantically bolt; catch onto single silk threads of scent. She couldn't catch it like she used to, and it left her to pant in her usual fashion and regain her pose, pain through her entire core. A quick look around to catch onto her bearings. All sorts of humans, many in overalls... some held filet knives and cleavers to her left. She had faced the ocean on her right.

That moment felt like she jumped into a lion's den, and it left her to snarl by reflex as a human twitched desperately. A scent that she caught onto, she couldn't lose it. Her paws dug into the pavement, filled with that determination and sudden adrenaline. She wouldn't lose it.

Not again...

One man had gingerly and cautiously tossed his arms open but didn't make a sound; the strange motion left her jaw to click as she tilted her head.

He didn't even make eye contact. He used his peripheral vision to avoid attaching to hers. It left some of the others to give him a confused or curious glare. Her heart had nearly stopped at that moment. His hair was this ginger-brown and it left him to half glance for only a fraction of a second. Then he stopped and his eyes went wide. The entire time as her eyes dilated and an all too familiar scent drowned out Bandits.

"Oh my god..." It left his shoulders to slump as he straightened his back. "You're..." The absolute stranger just tilted his head in utter confusion; Absol couldn't get over the shock of it. Of course, she recognized him, from the details of his ginger-brown like hair; dyed... he always did. It made a pattern in his hair. His eyes held this black, crystalline allure, light sunkissed skin, and smooth cheeks. She saw it at once, down to the last detail. This flicker of color came over her black and white mirror, enough to catch onto everything. Some now believed the crazy story he was bound to talk about; these mutters came from the background. It left her to laugh under her breath. "You really are, it's me... Seok. I came over plenty of times, you took care of my brother for... for...How are you....?"

Absol was already limp; a sparkle of yellow barely caught her eyes as her vision blurred. She half staggered towards him, and the human cautiously walked towards her.

"Absol!?" Griffin called out after a moment... a moment where she felt her heartbeat. Those utterly rare moments where she had the desire to. A warmth had blanketed around her fur as his footfalls came to her ears.

"O - Over here!" The man had replied with a nervous as sin smile as she nearly fell into his chest and stomach. "I - It's okay, Seo... I mean, Absol..." He shook his head and had half sat on the pavement and looked out to sea. Absol didn't move at all, she just put her ears against his chest as though to see if he was breathing.

"A... Uhm, hi...?" Griffin was the first around the corner as Brad called out in the distance.

"Hey Griff, you have her?"

"Yeah...."

"Awe..." Melody lightly huffed and smiled as she turned the corner and noticed the sight. Griffin half shook his head after Melody made that soft sound.

"W - Who are you?"

"I... I'm her... owner." Griffin went red, but Brad cautiously cut him off. Brad was quick to jump on it as though to help Griffin fill out a more... optimistic answer.

"You mean like her... original owner, right?"

"She's had more than one? After... Sorry, I... should talk to my boss, I need to leave." Seok had nervously trembled and anxiously made a few odd sounds. It wasn't... serious but it happened enough to notice. After a moment of conversation, Seok had invited Griffin and everyone else to his apartment, on the way he explained some things that had happened.

Because of a medical condition, Seok couldn't get custody of his younger brother. He didn't go into any details, it's all he had to say. Then he talked about Absol. Even said her name. It left her numb, Griffin cautiously dropped his hand and petted her while they walked down the road.

Absol was between both of them.

"Seo-yun, he named her." Griffin had gently dug the tips of his fingers along the back of her neck. A tremble ran through them, but the human had been seaborne for the last few days. Ferry to ferry. Absol felt it strange, it felt firm. "My mother wanted to name our next sibling something; she didn't like the name much."

"Seo-yun...? For a Pokemon?" Brad had lightly cut in. "That seems a little too close to human. I mean... People usually name them cute names, right?" He said and gave a gentle friendly chuckle.

"He always joked about a younger sister, it's what he wanted to name her; thought it would be amazing to explore with her." Seok drearily sighed as he went towards a building and one by one, they filed into this small apartment; A tight fit of one and an absolute mess.

And strangely... not a single Pokemon related thing there. Seok was a wonderful host, got to know all of them... and then began to explain how Seo had taken care of his younger brother for months, if not a year, on end. His parents had died in a fishing accident and it wasn't reported because they lived on a smaller secluded island - no one knew the accident happened. Absol remembered the trek to swim and find or steal food around the town, and the swim back. No one was the wiser to her... except for a Pokemon trainer.

A Trainer saved his younger brother's life, solely by asking the police. He studied Pokemon behaviors and she could remember why Seok did now.

_You keep your arm covered, that Pokemon took such a horrible bite at you. You were hardly a... a cub. Stress. It nearly shredded your arm to the bone; you never even knew they could be dangerous, and it almost killed you. You had nightmares even in the day - episodes.

Of course I remember you... You weren't there, you left home to get away from Pokemon. Your symptoms got worse being there._

As Absol had gotten lost in her trance of thought, she summed up the story in moments. Seok had finished with his explanation and it left Griffin blank.

"I study the body language and vocal sounds of Pokemon now, thanks to that trainer. It's a dumb dream, especially for... for me. Pokemon aggression could just set me off, but with Seo... I can't feel it." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I'm sorry, I just... I didn't mean to break open suddenly. I just..."

"I get it." Griffin began to say and that left Brad and Melody to look his way. "My older brother does that too, he tries to go through it all and the stress can get to him. You want to keep her, and... if she wanted to, I can't say no. But you can't... afford it, right? You pay for your medication." He nodded after a while and Griffin continued "Well, then that means I could take care of her for you, until you can. I can tell. Seo-yun always protected you both, right?" Seok gently smiled

"Y - yeah." Griffin gave a little smile and a chuckle.

"Well, I... couldn't get used to calling her Seo-yun. If she's had so many trainers, bad... clearly. Then, with your permission I'd love to be able to give her a name." Griffin expressed and scratched his head.

Just a place he always did as Griffin began to say.

"After all, if she could have more than one name that means something good to her, when you call her by that name... she won't forget us either."

It left Seok blank and he'd smile a moment after.

"Yeah, you can. I can already tell that you're a great trainer." Then Griffin went silent, awkwardly silent as Absol clung to Seok's side. She didn't take her cheek from his thigh for the entire time, she refused to.

"So... I know it's odd, but can I ask a favor?" Seok tilted his head. "Since you're being honest, I think we all can agree that we trust you. Right?" Brad nodded, along with Melody. "I'm looking for a Mightyena that was stolen from Viridian City, the last place the Pokeball connected to, was here in Sevii. Her name is Bandit." He put a finger under his chin and thought quietly to himself.

"I know what could be behind it, definitely. I've..." He leaned in to whisper. "Heard of some things. Usually it's when I work late, and jerks come out. Drunks usually. There are these underground fights for Pokemon, violent ones. Some guy came through and asked for 'exciting events' and things like that. He beat one guy in a Pokemon Battle, after beating most of the trainers in the Trainer's Village. It's like an event that happens at random, they jump in when the Pokemon are exhausted from what I've heard. Cowards." Seok mentioned. "They can't push a Pokemon like that, even with... with this." He pointed to his head. "I couldn't ever feel happy about that. I had the best teacher, after all." Seok laughed lightly and looked down at the floor, at Seo. "Sorry. I just have always run through my head about what to say in... a situation like this. I'm simply happy it's... a good encounter." He bowed respectfully and gently sighed before he petted Absol too.

They both did, and she hadn't a single horrible thought about it.

"Thank you for finding me. I never thought that I'd see you again, and even though I know you want to stay. I can't afford it; we'd starve or be homeless. I want to help you, just like you helped me." Seok smiled as Absol felt her heart pound against her chest; the world had been stuck in pure color even as the aches and pains shocked her to the core.

"I'll call and try to see if I can set something up to send her to you through a Pokemon Center." Griffin mentioned and smiled "Thank you for the help, Seok."

"Don't mention it, please. I'm trusting you with, quite a lot... those people could be dangerous."

"I know, but people like that do things like this to Absol... Lycanroc, Blaziken. Haxorus..." Griffin gently sighed as Seok pulled his head back. "I just can't say no; one particular Pokemon did the same for me after all. I feel I don't have the right to."

They set out for Navel Island the next morning, but Griffin had spent that afternoon to train; or at least tried to train Lycanroc and Haxorus. Moonlight had also trained in his own way. Absol couldn't keep up with any of them and that left her to lay on the grass and watch. Now, Griffin had paid full attention and occasionally swiped the Pokenav with his finger. That Sim Card Logan put in it for his Pokeballs, had all of Logan's notes on it. In fact, Griffin had begun to read a lot more overall; the entire time he had spent his time to study and supervise them. Eventually Marill had popped out, and Griffin half flinched.

"Yeah. Join in too Marill." He'd say with a nervous swallow; he could sense the tension at once.

But the little balloon trained with the rest of them - he even surprised some of them with his talents. Marill was a natural born fighter, and that made Absol pay attention. Absol simply rested her head against the grass, he found a Pokemon Center in that city... but there was always the chance the next wouldn't have any.

An endurance battle is... It's what I'm good at, hit me all you want but I can't break. Absol gently growled and stretched against the grass, a perky little twitch came from a branch nearby.

"Pikachu?" Absol began to say and he waved after he perked his ear up. It was like a big exclamation point overtop his head, one image that Absol couldn't get out of hers as he pushed his fuzzy head through a bush. "Yes you, you're being awfully noisy, do you have something to say?" Absol had begun to recognize his strange little actions. It was like a sparrow that flew into that garden of thorns.

"Y...Yeah. At the pier, I ran off with you and found a scent. So, I followed it as closely as I could and found a broken-down meat locker. It was full of old imprints; I could see it in the wood. Cages, and blood that soaked into the shelves. The thing looked nearly caved in, I could barely squeeze through. Something blew a huge hole through a wall."

"Damn... If only we had Thief out here, he could remember the scent and never forget it. Lycanroc... I couldn't bring her back there. I could smell her too."

"I have a good nose, but I see your point. Is it even possible to get Thief there? Griffin wouldn't possibly go back." Absol went blank and silent.

"Wait, Shadow is in Mandarin Island North. I could tell him where to go. You could help, with his nose - he could follow the scent at once." Absol started to say, "We need to get back into our Pokeballs and talk to him somehow."

"You got it, we'll meet at the mountain he goes to and take shifts. That way we can cover Griffin too. Play it safe, so... Although. I felt something was off..." Pikachu began and swallowed "A... No. You're happy. I don't want to worry you with frivolous ideas." He continued to say and nodded his head down. "The smile... it really... really brings out the light in your pelt." Pikachu began to say. "All I can see is a beautiful coat, it brings out your eyes. You look wonderful, smile and all."

A gentle splash of color touched her eyes, and the hue of yellow touched him before it faded. She could hear him sigh as he wandered off, as though to mutter to himself about being dumb or saying something foolish.

He's so strange, what kind of male acts like that in his age?

It came to her mind as she watched him scamper over to Griffin and return himself. It caught her attention whenever Griffin had to figure out what they wanted from him; he had always seemed to catch on as though he had an innate gift. Absol watched the clouds roll by and listened to Lycanroc and Haxorus train. Vibrava had joined in too, but all she could do was conserve her energy and wait for the chance to find a busier Trainers Village.

Griffin began these drills of 'mock' battles; his brother wrote them down... yet Griffin had a weak spot for double battles - it's how Logan trained them all.

He'd set his teams into three fighting pairs by the end of it and trained them simultaneously, like a unit. Griffin couldn't keep up with the commands, or gestures. Absol watched him pointlessly make symbols with his hands before he scratched the hell out of his head.

"It's like an army manual; damnit Logan..." Griffin sighed and scratched his chin, yet he cleared his throat and set them up in double battles.

Moonlight and Scarf against Lycanroc and Marill. Absol had sharpened her gaze and slowly made it closer to them, she called it right away.

naturally he's going to try and use Lycanroc, but... he's been good to her. She knows; but her loyalty to humans has broken. Absol gently traced her paws across the grass as something coiled around it.

"Sev-"

"Am I... impeding you?" He began "So, Marill likes to swim? Does he not?" The Seviper expressed as Absol cleared her throat. It made her attentive to his scythe of a tail "Last I checked, Lycanroc needs some space alone." The Seviper hissed out his S's as per usual as his rainbow-like pelt curled around her feet. "You're quite... cold, and on such a warm day. Odd, I thought your fur would be much warmer. You're from the mountains, aren't you? Quite the distance to go to end up on an island." Absol flicked her tail and growled lightly. "Friendly conversation! I assure you. I'm trying to say, that she needs to go through her own steps alone too. Let her, they'll be times when you can. Just keep an eye open." Absol snapped her jaws by reflex and went still as the Seviper laughed gingerly and withered between her front legs in a figure eight before it slithered through the grass. It left her in this cursive bewilderment, one that made her flick her tail out as the Vibrava swung over to her. They talked for a while...

Vibrava had a strange story to tell, one that made her confused. The stranger with the Kommo-o constantly attacked grunts and others that worked for Underworld, Vibrava had been unlucky enough to get captured by him; but all his companions were violent and trained him much too roughly.

The trainer wasn't any better, just dead pan silent all the time and occasionally offered treats and pets. Always sprayed on some scent cover. When the Kommo-o saw Luna on the island, the Vibrava remembered this strange sound it made and began to say...

"I don't think it would... hurt Luna. I think it'll take her somewhere by force if she didn't cooperate. His voice is weird, I barely understand it. Remember when it nearly stepped on her? The Kommo-o purposely staggered to avoid crushing her. No one else listens to me though. Not the Talonflame or Abra or..."

"What? You said Abra, didn't you?" Absol began to say and slammed her paw into the earth as Griffin tried to coordinate in the background. "... That's the one that attacked Luna?"

The Vibrava went quiet as Absol narrowed her eyes.

"L - Look, I know you're suspicious, everyone is. It wasn't the worst but... he ends up losing us so often - Underworld took the Kommo-o at one point. It's horrible, finding a place like that. That's why I wanted to leave but the... the fish market; you can see what Griffin sees in the meadow. I check back there all the time. It was one a long time ago - Kommo-o broke into it for some reason; it's the first time he met that trainer." The Vibrava gently flickered and jostled his film-like wings. The color and shades left Absol to hold her breath again as her heart pounded against her chest.

A move? When he angled his wings, it looked like it shone. "Why talk about this now? And to me?"

"Bandit scares the hell out of me. I can't tell her, and you always talk to her. So, I couldn't tell you. Luna is around everyone; Moonlight wants to eat me!? Even makes a weird yowl when I'm around - Lycanroc would attack me on sight because I'm still covered in this paint crap and Haxorus? Do you KNOW who that is?" The Vibrava showed off its shell and wings as she had a close look. He was covered in this thin layer of paint, one that had dried and peeled slowly overtime; like a dye, it would take months to get rid of it. Absol lowered her eyes, all he said seemed true - if she wasn't beside Griffin, she was in Bandit's shadow. Even though, someone else held that name - but not the title. A gentle sigh wisped past her lips as she heard a Pokeball click. Scarf went to check for Shadow again. He did it periodically but kept coming out empty paw'd. It made her eyes narrow.

Kinken-to. Shadow must be trying to sneak into those illegal fights too; we need to find somewhere that we can too. Yet we're completely under prepared. This is a gambit, anyone's game and they have the flush.

We don't have time to try and train with you Griffin, you know that. You're trying to sneak in as much as you can, whenever you can. It's why you spend so many nights up to study. I watch you do that all the time.

Her eyes glared the ground as soft chimes touched the air around her - Pokemon. Pidgey and Spearow; all sorts of other wild types that snuck in and out of cities to sing their song. The gentle trill and chirp left her to rest her eyes as though she were moments away from sleep.

I can't sleep at night yet... stay awake. The Absol flicked and swiped her tail; let the blade cut down tips of glass as the idle hum of an engine took her attention away.

_It's not a car engine. It sounds mechanical, electric... I know that sound. Where have I heard it before?

There's a clunk every... there it is. A generator? It's... the... generator that kept the lights on sometimes; I think.

I need..._ Absol pushed to her feet at once and tried to push her way into Griffin, it took the human by surprise as she did. Her head just aimlessly, lightly butted his thigh and she tilted her head. Griffin showed off her Pokeball and as always, she obediently returned herself and now a faint odd thump came into the background as her heart pounded. Her eyes stayed shut and locked her within the confines of a steel cage. A damp gentle light flickered just past the bars of the cage as her tired, sunken and colorless eyes peered at the crack in the door. Metal shut against metal and she perked her head up.

That one little slit of dim orange light was the most amount she had seen in the last few days; yet she had to look at the shelves around her as a snarl bounced around the concrete walls and tickled her eardrum as her eyes began to dilate. A human eventually made a sound and these loud vicious pops sparked up the room.

A shock baton, she knew the sound well by then; half of the room delved into pure silence.

Those used to it, in the least were silent... yet in that pure dark room, it was impossible to know who was and wasn't next to you.

There was always these soft, tender voiced cries from time to time. Whenever there was a sound nearby some old grate on Absol's left side, a voice would perk up at the edge of the room.

"Please fetch help."

It's all they said, in this soft regal tone which left Absol's ear to twitch. Right before something jabbed her in the tummy - it shocked both her in trance and not.

I saw a face... who. Who were they letting in that day? She bit that human - I remember. But the other voice? The accent... it reminds me of Luna. It's hard to explain it. It's soft - traditional... even. That voice is... calm or collected - patient.

Absol shook her head wildly and gently exhaled. Her eyes lightly opened, only to find herself at the lakeside. Marill had done his usual training, he focused stances - breathing... accuracy. That was a thing Absol had taken into consideration as she stalled her paws.

"Marill. Can I... ask you something?"

"Huh? Yeah sure...?" The blue balloon of a Pokemon hopped out of the water and wiggled the buoy like ball at the end of his tail.

"I see you here, every day... every night doing the same thing. Are you... training?" Absol began to say, "I thought you were with everyone hardly a moment ago."

"Yeah, Griffin got all... motherly or whatever he does. You've seen it before... so, I just came back; screw him." Marill commented bluntly and crossed his arms "My father ran a whole territory back home, he taught me everything I need to know about basic combat, so I get to practice the basics."

"Don't you get tired?"

"No, but I don't feel a huge amount of pain... or stress or whatever." Marill mentioned again. "I mean... I just practice muscle memory in here if anything, it speeds up the reaction time."

"N-Naturally." Absol had expressed and swallowed "So... we can train in here?"

"I don't see why not? I saw Thief and Shadow running around the other week; he got exhausted but... I know he couldn't run like that outside with his injuries even then. The Pokeball numbs pain I think or protects us." Marill scratched his scalp and chuckled "I guess... you're -"

"Going to train everything I need to in here? Yes. If it takes longer, then I'll train longer; that simple." Absol expressed and rolled her shoulders. "I just hope Griffin doesn't throw us in a fight the moment we get to Kinken-To."

"They said they weren't going there though..." Marill commented "Another city?"

"It's the busiest place, the most trainers. His fastest bet to finding Bandit." Absol continued to say as Marill tiredly huffed.

"All this running around sucks. It is nice to stop and stay somewhere, anywhere!" The Marill continued to say and flicked his tail before he assumed another stance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to keep training here until all of you actually see me as useful." Absol felt her ear twitch as Marill narrowed his small beads for eyes, his form was perfect for his moves.

It's something Griffin is protecting, he can't let go of it. Your intent... holds pressure, I can feel it through my sides. You have plenty of potential...

But I've known too many with that. There's too much potential to go around.

Absol twitched her tail as something vibrated through her legs and left her to look down at the blades of grass below her.

What the...? No. She softly and chillingly exhaled as her world became crisp and colorless. There's a presence here, one that I haven't felt before - it's heavy. It's not... him. Who is it? They're nearby, watching maybe? It's a Pokemon or a human, I can't tell the difference, but the bloodlust is still there.

"Marill...?"

"I feel it alright; that's not normal, I don't like it." The Marill continued to say "It happens sometimes when it's quiet, especially if I'm just practicing stances. It's unbearable; but I've searched every bit of this Pokeball top to bottom and haven't found it. It stops when I get to the meadow though, every time."

"Even with Thief and Luna and everyone else at the Volcano?"

"Haxorus sleeps a ton and those two have been sleeping this whole time through. I catch Luna sometimes walking around - half the time I splash her, and she wakes up right away; gets a little angry then confused. I just say it's a dream and sometimes she comes into the water and talks to me." Marill lightly sighed and puffed out his fur. "But there was this one time that she didn't. I watched her hit the ground and crawl. It was... weird." Marill commented and heavily sighed as he crossed his arms. "I think Moonlight is more then aware of it, but he won't talk much - only around that dumb Leafeon now. That guy feels more like a pretentious prick to me. His voice, I pick up on it all the time."

"I seldomly do, save for the night before." Absol mentioned back "It's odd, but I think he feels like he can relate to Moonlight. I don't believe that Leafeon is from anywhere around here, his whole... aura... or... Look, he just feels alien to me." Absol had to partially shake her head by what the Leafeon had said; it left her mind awry as the pressure built around her once more.

"If I go outside, I can still feel it, but... it's not outside. It's in here." Marill mentioned again. "It's been going on for weeks." A gentle cough came from Marill. "Almost always at night when we're asleep actually. I saw something in the desert Biome, then it twitched, and the feeling went away. I only saw a... shadow and an ear. It makes me think of a Furret or a linoone maybe? There was this boulder beside it too at the time, like it crawled out of it. I've never seen anything like it before - it's beautiful. Like a..." Marill gently cut himself off as his face grew red, it made Absol tilt her rather scarred muzzle as the Marill began to talk "Her ears were like a Skitty's but long - It made me think of a Glaceon's ribbons... shorter maybe? But its body is slender like a Linoone and formed like a... a... I don't know. Those tails just captivated me right away, you could see a blue-black mist - A galaxy, I guess! I've never witnessed anything like it. It smelled sweet, wet - like a dew." Marill continued to mumble for a moment and closed his mouth - visibly red along the cheeks. "Her fur was like a cream... Cream and wild like a Luxray. Cream and black purple; it looked like paint on her weird fur That glowed with her tails; like an... aurora of stars." Marill lightly blinked and shook his head wildly. He spoke faster than Absol could keep up with, before he blatantly splashed water over his muzzle. "I've never even felt that way about anything, one look and I just... sank?" It made Absol lightly blink as she swallowed gently; pulled his nervous or excited chatter away from her mind. She only cared for the words - not his strange isolated emotions behind them. It seemed like the longest anyone had spoken to him in a while, yet he usually was verbal about being upset. Absol's tender and aged ears twitched to the stranger, alien emotion in his voice; one that left a sound to echo into her ear and left her head to tilt.

A mist maybe? A bug perhaps; that sounds like sweet scent to me. Strange, I've never caught onto a scent save for Leafeon. If someone used Sweet Scent here, it would linger until morning - if not longer. The first time we made that fire in the biome, it smelled like it for a week. Absol lightly narrowed her eyes as she gave Marill another parted glance and walked off.

This time, the blue balloon with strange eyes had followed her closely. Lycanroc had been outside; Shadow was nowhere, and Scarf was bound to be at the mountains. That made her stall her feet once it came to her recollection. A strange wash had come over her, enough that her paws stopped entirely, and she looked that way.

Why would I think him different of Marill...? What kind of hypocrisy is that? They're both rodents, they're following their nature. Absol swallowed bitterly and spat in reply. Giving myself the assurance of certainty he's different is foolish. Absol dug her claws into the dirt with a show of her 'certainty' and continued to walk through the large grassy meadow. Her scarred and clawed face had peered through the grass as her blade - one that churned with a cloud of obsidian blue - had crossed through the branches. Patched and molten white-smoke fur had rested by her cheeks. If it weren't for her glass - crystalline eyes with a flawless picture of her empty world...

She'd look broken entirely; if the rest of the gashes and marks hadn't told enough of the story from head to tail. Not even the scythe behind her had any better treatment - she couldn't count the fractures.

The ones that couldn't heal now, the ones that slowly reminded her. It made her clamp down on her teeth as though she held a throat in it. Her tail whipped and slashed the grass beside her in a flash of an instant. A flawless cut and a dull aimless... weak - weak, shock of pain ran through her blade solely based on her Posture. It vibrated and pulsed in a way that left her heart to pound numbly - a heat ran through her body as rage stabbed into her sides.

The truth of her crystalline eyes was the bloodshot look she gave the world. Endless, peerless crystals of bright moonlit red; and she fixed them on the glass that stood before her and tilted her head. The dunes looked far, far away on a hot-distorted horizon. She pushed on the glass in front of her, but it felt rigid and thick beyond end.

_ The distance between the meadow and the desert ahead were blocked by soft glass _

Marill twitched his ear.

"Hear that?" Marill expressed as Absol put her head against the glass and listened.

"No, I can't. I'm too..."

"It sounds like digging, like Akamaru does? Remember? But... slowly." Marill expressed and swallowed "Like claws digging into the dirt, its eerie. Shoveling, it's not a move...?"

"Is there a way in?" Absol promptly expressed as Marill shook his head.

"I even asked Vibrava, but he says that the glass looks red to him. It goes on forever; if you fly away, Vibrava also says that you just end up going in a circle. It's like there's no walls here... except this one." Absol just kept her ear against the glass and gently exhaled.

The pressure was long gone; that horrific murderous intent had disappeared without a trace.

"Hell, I think it might be screwing with Moonlight." Marill commented boldly "Since every Pokemon can hear different things, I wonder if it might mess up with Moonlights Psychic. He's been getting so many headaches lately, and he's always on edge; even seeing stuff. I think it might be keeping him awake but he's so damn stubborn and adjusted to his old ways that he won't admit it. I've asked countless times, but frankly I'm just ignored as usual."

Marill gave a little shrug "Can't help people who won't listen I guess." Absol clung to the wall closely.

"Is there any place where the glass may be thinner?" She began to say as Marill gently scoffed. "I'll bring up your issue with Moonlight personally. I catch him trying to use Future Sight too, but every time I do, he just looks at me. Ever since Fuchsia that Espeon's been even more dramatic in private." Absol shook her head and clung to the glass once more. "He's an odd one, very... 'indoorsy'" Absol expressed once more and methodically listened. There was a shoveling sound. It made her eyes widen first before she narrowed them.

What is that sound? It's sounds like... a voice? Or singing? "Do you hear a voice Marill?" Absol softly asked as the balloon puffed up and went to the glass. He waited for a good long while and concentrated hard.

"No... just shoveling, sorry. It's like digging with its paws." Marill commented awkwardly as Absol's heart suddenly began to beat, it shocked her for a moment - left her eyes wide open.

_It's like... like a soothing voice. I've never heard one so calm and assuring before. It's beyond... beyond a mother's voice. It fills me up with...

I feel empty now.

Why...? It's suddenly just... grey with things floating around - I feel like I'm sinking into myself...? It's soundless but I know there's sound_

Something had jostled against her skull suddenly; something so frightening that she jolted back and slammed the glass with her strongest move - Psycho-cut; the sound made a sudden shriek that left Absol just as wide eyed, as the shovel digging stranger had ducked and squirmed in a way that left them exposed to the fake stars and moons above them.

Psycho-cut - and the glass DID cut clean open... but like any impossibly tough gel, the massive slash had slowly sealed up and left Absol to twitch and flinch as her tail rang out in sudden pain. Her breaths had to slow as she panted.

What in Arceus was that? Seriously... What touched me in that second?

Absol had to shake her head and cough as her chest burned out of nowhere. This sudden current filled her lungs more sharply then unfiltered tobacco smoke. One that made her cough and hack bitterly as Marill had begun to play with an orb of water between his paws; as though he wanted to help, concern plastered on his small face. Absol shook her head no as the pictures flooded her mind out of nowhere while her lungs sharply burned. It left her dilated as she had seconds of little images pop into her mind with such clarity that her body went rigid.

Home...?

A little home on a small crescent island - one that was said to be sacred by locals; where Pokemon of all sorts migrated through. The strange place that seemed to connect to the mainland before the sea slowly swallowed it up when the tide came; an older traditional home. Absol wouldn't even know if that place would remain for another fifty or sixty years; but the images burned through her skull with voices that she hadn't heard for too long.

Even a few hours away from Seok felt like too long, let alone the years...

It left Absol to twitch and cough as Marill just stared at her. Absol hadn't realized the desperate throbs of her chest and lungs as though to demand her suddenly numb and cold body to move and breathe.

"Absol? You're coughing so damn hard that you're crying. Sweet Arceus - just take the water." Absol nodded and accepted the notion. So, she drank until her throat stopped and her chest ceased to burn; to her shock, it did quicker than she expected.

At least the first real breath was one that felt like an early ocean mist over the morning hills. The kind that jostled shrubs filled with dew across her nose. The familiar scent had washed over her as her eyes went wider.

It's like I'm right there and... I'm not. What in the world was that? No... I know what it was.

My life was flashing before my eyes, for even a second. Out of nowhere I was... dying or dead...? Absol had shook off the shock. I know what that looks like, I've seen it so often that I... But it's never been like that. I have no words for it. She gently veered her head away and growled back in response as an ear perked up. Then another ear - and Marill got uncomfortably close to the wall for her. Her stance... regality came back as though to show off her form proudly and strongly. A true form with no gloss to hide it. Then the head turned to face her, and her blood ran cold as she looked over the large eyed, fleshy quilled mask that covered it. It appeared like some vicious two-dimensional shadow of its own ears, muzzle and eyes. Its thin needles stuck around the neck and glowed with gloss as the sleek, pure midnight-blue fur had looked at her. An oily purple ran over the pelt of odd quills. It went wide eyed, as did she.

"Who are you?" The creature popped to it's four feet, it felt feline to her; like a lost kitten of sorts but one that looked horrifically thin and long; a face that showed an undead creature. A slender feline shape - one so nimble that it made Absol mutter out a word as the entire quilled pelt on it stilled and shivered with fright. The moment it stared at her with its bloodshot paint-white eyes like Cue balls, with no pupils. It made the Creature flinch and Absol noticed the strange hexagonal plates around it's back. Like odd flowers of stone; a statue? Half statue? Its midnight purple fur had this outspoken and shaved ribbon like intentions. A razor of quills layered its throat and neck like a mane or a regal headdress.

"N - No... please I'm not that." It recoiled and backed away meekly Absol had to let out a shuttered gasp before she shut her eyes. It looked like anything out of a nightmare, and it only reminded her... "I'm not a demon. I'm anything but that. I'm Esi." Esi continued to say and swallowed "I didn't even know you were against the glass; you shouldn't be. I can't hear well when I... do this and wear my..." Esi trailed off for a moment

"E - Esi?" Marill had mentioned and swallowed as she twitched her rather large ear.

"Wait... you were here last night, right? I can tell. You swallow a lot of water!" Marill went pitch red and shivered before Absol snarled - it left Esi to flinch.

"I don't know what happened, I did cut the glass very deep."

"The glass thing comes back after a while. Luna learned that too!" Esi mentioned with a nod. "I got to get closer to both of them!" She explained with this utterly happy tone, a friendly one that left Absol to twitch her lip.

"Don't say that." Absol expressed once more and narrowed her jaw as the Esi twitched. "I don't know what you are, I've never seen you before. You're a threat, a danger. You can't be here."

"A - Absol... It's... she doesn't look like. I don't..." Marill swallowed again with a strange huff, the sight of Esi naturally made the Marill wary too... yet... "Damnit, can't you see that she's harmless? Look at her!? She looks horrified; even if she looks scary." Marill oddly defended her as Absol whipped her jaws his way. The Marill held his ground - he usually even did with Bandit.

"Why shouldn't I be near the glass?" Absol mentioned again as Esi twitched her ears and folded them flat against her back. Absol had grown attentive to it.

"I make a special water." Esi expressed and shyly went to show her paws after a while. "If I eat too many things, or I get a lot to eat for a while; I create water. Every Esi does something special like that." She expressed with a gentle laugh "I'd show you, but... it's too dangerous for the elderly. Even for my kind. When you get older, the mist begins to hurt you." Absol softly coughed and tilted her head.

"What's it for then?" Absol mentioned once more as Esi shrugged.

"No one knows anymore. Some have fire that doesn't burn. Others have ice that isn't cold. It's strange; some try to drink the element from others, but it makes them deathly ill." Esi commented politely "Water is hard to come by, so they try what they can to have some even though I know it'll kill my own kind if they did." Absol narrowed her eyes and gently coughed once more as Esi perked her ears. "I'm terribly sorry, but it's dangerous. I didn't even know there was anyone of your age here... but other than Luna and Haxorus... Thief now. Bandit. Not a lot know I am here at all or have met me personally." Absol twitched her ear again and tilted her head. "Even Bandit has been kind about it, she was with them when Luna learned the glass disappears."

"You seem well spoken for a Pokemon from not around here." Esi nodded to Absol word.

"Raticate taught me a little; he was older too, but now that all the excitement has died down - I mean the one for being free and all - It's just been settling in. My body hurts... all the time, and I feel tired too; weak... I miss Raticate too, I never had to make water then - I never ate much there." Esi sat down as Absol twitched lightly.

"As does my body." Absol mentioned as Esi nodded after a moment of confusion.

"And they're injured... Bandit is missing too right? Luna talks about that every night now and every night I see her wander towards the mountains or the lake. It's weird, I see another Vulpix follow her around, but it doesn't make a sound; even when it talks. It's always mute but moves its lips, I just don't know. This is a strange place, but it's nice. Luckily, a Logan gives me lots of water."

"A Logan? You mean Logan. It's a name, Esi." Absol continued to say. "What do you call yourself?" Esi 'pshaa'd'

"An Esi obviously!"

"Do you all call each other Esi?"

"Yeah, well unless they're not Esi. Then they're Chesshira. The rest is too scary, and they don't come out to the desert. They..." Absol twitched her tail with a sharp flick and stabbed it into the gel. It made Esi twitch and jolt in alarm.

"How do I know you aren't a threat then?" Absol commented once more as Esi swallowed and looked at her with these white milky eyes. They were unnerving for her and it left Marill in confusion and shock as he stared.

"Because I haven't eaten any meat. Bones yes, bones are allowed; they're gross but... it's food. But since... Wait do I say...?"

"Just say Logan."

"But since... Logan...?" Absol nodded as Esi continued her nod "Gave me all those berries, I don't need to worry about eating meat! I feel full... but then I ache - I feel like I'm being crushed or squeezed all the time." Absol perked her ears and silently bared her fangs.

"When it gets silent, right?" Absol snarled against the gel before her. "When everyone seems to be dead already." Esi shook her head no.

"That's not it at all! Please! It's all the time, then I make the element!" Esi silently and quietly begged from her side of the glass as Absol slammed her tail through the gel as it suddenly hit something harder then rock and left Absol to rear back in shock and pain; as she did, the gel filled in to follow her until she stopped. Then the gel did too, a murky line before her feet. Absol held fast and glared, open eyed. "Please, I don't know but that's not it. It's not." Esi commented again and silently swallowed. "Look... I... I can't show you; I can't even prove it to you but please understand..."

"Why!?" Absol whipped back at the gel and stepped in closer. Esi soullessly looked down at the dirt and sand below her paws - her thin, graceful paws and then at the division of grass. She seemed face to face with Absol by then.

" You would die, and I don't want you to. If I showed, you... you'd die. Even with Esi that grow old. The fumes kill them silently; It doesn't affect the younger ones no matter how young. Most Esi use their abilities in combat. It's all it can be used for - they try to poison one another with it." Esi expressed gently "But every time I look at it... it's"

"Beautiful. That's what you were doing last night - you were making water? Out of nothing...? Not even vapor in the air or... from a sac in your body? You just make it out of nothing?" Esi shrugged in confusion to Marill's soft and curious voice.

"I know that I can plant trees. I tried it long ago, that's how I learned the elderly pass." Esi commented with a somber smile "I watered that seed I found for an exceptionally long time. I wondered if it would grow, ever. I don't know if it ever did. I don't know if they do in deserts." She flicked out her tails lightly and half stretched a paw as Absol took on the defensive "I just know that something... something beautiful can't be... completely deadly. Not something that looks like that. I've never seen it until I came here. It looks like the night sky, Logan showed me it the other night. There's no stars where I'm from. It's just murky, endlessly - even in the forest. So, I showed him the water. I... couldn't..." Esi shook her head wildly "I showed him the water I make. I had to talk to everyone so I could hear their voices." Esi continued to say and nodded "Logan will know what it means, he's always busy bringing me to strange places now. Umbreon is nice. Nice, he's... I don't know the word. It's like..."

"Say a name." Absol expressed after a moment as Esi tilted her head. "Say a name, when you think of the feeling you get."

"... Raticate?" Esi began to say. "Raticate is like Umbreon, even though Umbreon sounds... firm." Esi gave a gentle shiver from nose to tail before she wildly vibrated, then she'd gently cough moments afterward. It left Absol to strangely tilt her head. "S - Sorry..."

"What exactly was that?" Absol began to say as Esi turned her head in this mix of sudden shame and embarrassment.

"I - It's personal!" She commented back as Marill drew his balloon of a body back. "It happens... sometimes. There's no real... timing!"

It doesn't mate seasonally? Strange for a creature like this. It must more be like Eevee, but its story doesn't make sense. There's something off. A Pokemon can absorb a move yes... but if Esi never has 'eaten meat'... then water would be their default pairing. That Chesshira doesn't use water-" Esi suddenly tilted her head left and right as everything had quieted down. Absol felt something gently brush against her back and neck. The odd feeling left her cold for a moment as a pressure pushed against her eardrum quietly.

_ "Huh...? That's weird, it's like you're talking but you're not. Why aren't your lipes moving?" _

Absol twitched her tail and stepped back as Esi flinched in reply; it left her tails to bend and crack into strange places and angles; until it fixed between them both. **_"I can't... Can't do this... is it? I haven't eaten anything. Absol...?

Seo-Yun...?

Disaster?

Solstice?

Galaxy?

Object...?

Noose...?

Dipshit?

Corpse...!?

Number...?

A- Absol... what's going on? There's so many things... So many names... so many... what's happening!?"_**

Absol shook her head wildly and snarled as Esi just blinked while she held her head and hid herself under ther thin paws. She just went quiet in this strange near fetal position as all sorts of things burned into her skull. Absol could see it, see it in her milky white and bloodshot eyes.

It's a two-way street? Esi gently curled and painted on this look of shock for a while as Absol tenderly swallowed. that's not something you need to see. If you aren't... Damnit you're not messing with me I can see it in your face. It's like something out of a horror movie but... I can feel that you're terrified. Absol coughed drly as a sound made her ear twitch. Is this an act?

"There you a-"

"Don't come any closer Scarf." Absol remarked as the Pikachu froze in place, her earlier yelp had strained her throat; it stung, and she didn't want to force her words anymore. "There's something dangerous here, it could kill us both." Esi had wearily lowered her head and dropped her large ears to her side as Scarf held his place and let out a rasped sigh.

"Oh... my... Arceus. It looks... it looks... undead." Scarf expressed with a shock of horror as Absol cut in front of Esi. Her heart lightly pounded against her chest as Scarf blinked and only saw her. She refused to move as the Pikachu's sudden outburst for breath had settled itself.

"I - I'm very much... much alive thank you." Esi commented after a moment with a gruffer and painful voice as she flicked her oddly angled tails straight. Marill simply stared at them, perplexed.

"E - Esi I thought... you don't look like that. Your eyes aren't like that - I had a good look the other night. You weren't that tall either." Absol twitched her ear to Marill's voice as Esi swallowed lightly and huffed as she turned her muzzle away.

"I've been... coming... coming out too often. I - If I do, I might start to make water without meaning to... when you don't it hurts so much that it becomes unbearable for me - I'd sweat. Some burst into flames when they don't... with all the pain... I'd succumb and die." Esi gently said and flicked out her tails - they creaked in abnormal ways that nearly made Absol think of antenna's. "I'm being honest, I really am. Please believe me, I haven't hurt anyone. Talk to Haxy, he's seen me out of my Pokeball. Talk to Shadow, Lapras, Aggron, Dragonite! They don't go near me much, but they haven't been hurt! Only Logan and Shadow and... Haxy. Umbreon... have spoken to me and they're okay." The Esi continued to say and looked around with its unblinking milky white eyes. "Please speak to them, any of them." She said directly at Absol, but her lips didn't move. She twitched an ear as she got just a hint closer to the glass.

"A - Absol?" Scarf said and held out a paw as she looked as closely as she could.

The... quills look like they cover her neck perfectly. A little den of prickly sticks. Absol gently scoffed and slowly began to laugh as Esi tilted her head in confusion. "So, the Chesshira is just some cub in a bush. It hides." Esi twitched her ears after a moment and flickered her tails.

"Chesshira can't leave their shell, ever. It'll kill them, I've seen it happen! They just hold their chest and hit the ground after a few minutes... or burst into something." Esi expressed as Absol twitched. "See, mine is weird, it doesn't fit perfectly." Esi continued to say and gently flicked her tails once more in their strange broken clock like way; and then shook to make this odd sound - like a bristly wind. It made all the quills roll like some strange fuzzy bug. "The Chesshira's quills don't roll like mine, I have to eat meat to grow into my shell, but if I eat meat... you get even more pain. They all complain about that - except for the gluttons, they don't feel the pain as long as they eat plenty."

_She's strangely honest, if she is being honest. Her entire voice seems manipulative to me, but with the way that Marill is acting...

Filth.

It pisses me off, it completely pisses me off._

"Then... Esi." Scarf began to say and to Absol curious ear, she noticed that he hadn't any distraction. "If you can't come out of the shell because you make water, can't you just make a whole bunch at night; all at once?" Esi shook her head no and sighed

"I can't make it all at once and never do it again, it takes a while." She expressed and showed her strangely fuzzy-quill tufted paws; like bristles. "It comes from here; or sweats here and then runs through the whole body. Before it consumes you. No one knows why at all." Esi said once again and flicked her metallic tails as her strange and frightful appearance stared back at them.

"Can you see?" Absol finally asked after a while as Esi twitched her tail.

"Without..." She sighed gently "But it's not loud and I don't feel like I need to make that water as much. In here, I mean." Esi continued to say; she seemed like a wood puppet in ways with what she wore. Absol had to stare it down closely as an image flashed in her mind. Sleek, narrow metallic flesh looked back at her... it left her eyes to sharpen and contrast swiftly. An image of herself within polished lights and a room void of light. Her tail had angled and shifted as she began to pace with her ragged and strained body.

There was something... that Griffin knew about Pokemon. Their diets, Absol noticed that right away about him. It gave her the energy, size and strength she needed to train bit by bit. Human grade food, it's what she saw.

My mind is on him...? Absol sharpened her tail towards another angle before she narrowly and swiftly snapped it so that the gel would recede before her. Then with poise and regality, her tail snapped straight onto the glass.

It punched through...? A small tip had broken the boundary of something harder than any boulder she knew. It left her eyes to go deep and wide as the tiny chip landed beside Esi's tail. That left her in a fright and Absol in a shock of wonder as the rage had slowly burned down...

What the hell...? My tail should... shatter to pieces. The Absol glanced at it within her calmer rage before she twitched her ear and lightly jutted out her chin. Scarf tilted his head with notice as Esi stood solid.

"T - That's a really strong tail." It began to say with curious, frightful praise. "I've never seen a tail THAT strong! Is it a rock? I wanna touch it." Absol twitched an ear. Her emotions are strong, so strong that even I can feel them. Esi tilted her head and lightly coughed before she twitched her nose.

"Uhm... go." Esi commented after a flush of air rushed in through the pin prick of a hole. "Right away, please! I must make my element, or I start to sweat all over my fur; it does the same thing. You must go, or you'll die; it gets more potent the longer I wait. You and a scarf. Run!" Esi lightly screeched in an odd defensive sound. A mix between a yowl and her natural echolocation. It felt like a hiss to Absol, but she managed to keep her head and ran alongside the Pikachu that followed her. He would slow her down, so she took his paw in her jaws lightly and pulled Scarf onto her back mid run with a fluid twisted of her shoulders and neck. It left Scarf calm, assured. For whatever reason she hadn't just left him there, yet the thought crossed her mind. Many did.

"In here, and with that hole we'll be dead. We need to get to the meadow and get to that strange... thing." Scarf commented and lightly took the fur around her neck. "The door I guess." Scarf expressed as Absol crossed from that side of the Meadow towards the other in moments of time. On a short stretch like that, she was fine... longer was hell on her lungs. Yet her paws dug into that faux dirt and slid over by the tree where Moonlight usually lounged about. It was strange, like he guarded something with his life there.

A gatekeeper; yet as Absol and Scarf both slid towards the door... this strange sound played from, somewhere.

Marill wasn't with them; it left her in shock - wide eyed. Scarf swallowed nervously in the altercation as he looked back.

"We can't risk going back. If it is dangerous, we'd see Haxorus with Luna and Thief by now. He does the same as Lycanroc, just in his own way." The Pikachu said and went for the gate as usual, before he imprinted against a gel that left him in shock. Absol stared at it too and promptly slashed her tail at it. A large shimmering mirror blocked them from pushing onward, it showed the world outside from its mirror like surface. One in a tree - like some fantasy book, it left her to scoff as she went to tilt her tail again. The poise and regality flicked against her pelt as she angled her broken and tussled tail. Hesitation ran through her legs as her throat dryly swallowed.

I can't risk it. My tail would shatter - I'd bleed out in the long term or die short term. Scarf had viciously darted on his four feet, as though to dig this strange hole. Absol had to give the Pikachu a glance, there wasn't anyway out of the ball by digging. She stood half stunned and narrowed her eyes for a moment right before she jumped in to help him.

There's a sound, but I didn't hear it; I felt it. There's a spark under the door. I can feel the shock - You did weird things when you first came in here. I remember that you paced endlessly... like any trapped mouse you dug and looked for a cable to bite into. You've been tampering with the Pokeball.

Absol had torn down the soil to hit a steel plate as the faux dirt clattered against them. It really was like a living ecosystem - it didn't float in the air... The strangely realistic hologram used the entire Pokeball to build it.

Like a three-dimensional plane, compared to a two dimensional one.

_You can't break through a Pokeball. If you do it breaks open but it's absurdly tough to do. If Logan designed this Pokeball... Why did you design, it so it could break so easily from the inside? _ Absol gave a gentle hiss and whipped out her tail. Scarf had expected her to and was already up and against the wall. She angled it once more with wary and snarled. Her soft hesitation left Scarf to look up.

"We need to hurry." He said and swung down his tail.

Iron Tail, it dented the steel plating on the inside as Scarf bent the lip up. Absol dropped her jaw to do the same.

it's paneled? Like little solar panels or aluminum. It looks cushiony. Insulation."Scarf, you can spark right? Anything? Discharge?" Absol began to say as she used her tail to lightly cut through the fabric. "Touch any wire you see, short out the Pokeball." The Pikachu nodded and burrowed in close as she pulled back the cloudy insulation. Something flicked in her mind and Absol snarled as the Pikachu just got his claws on a brown and white-blue wire of sorts. He yanked whatever he could and Absol watched the shocks spark out right as a sweet, tender smell barely wafted to her nose.

A white room... A strange white room. Metallic sheen tiles of glass surrounded her in that instant as though she came to understand something.

What gave you the idea for the Pokeball... Logan? What really did? Absol only had that flicker, her own warbly reflection... of a younger self.

She partially sucked in air, realizing that she instinctively held her breath. Scarf had tugged at her paw as she lightly opened her eye. It looks foggy, suddenly. Absol twitched her tail as the world slowly came into clear view; the park. Griffin had a shocked look on his face when they both sprung out from their individual Pokeballs. It left Moonlight to twitch his ear as Absol gave him a look. It made him lightly sniff the air as his fur riled up in an instant. His haunches lightly rolled and perked as Absol watched him suspiciously dart his eyes around. It was calm and methodical and as Absol had her light adrenaline finally tune down, Moonlight gave the Pokeball a look. She lightly stood in front of Griffin as the Espeon lightly thrashed his tail.

It seemed that Lycanroc and everyone else hadn't given the slender and agile Espeon a sweat. Then he licked the back of his paw as though to play innocent and mew'd.

"What happened, is the Pokeball damaged?" Moonlight glared at Scarf and Absol's each respective Pokeball. Absol rolled her head and lightly twitched her lip.

"Well, be my guest and inspect it closer." She replied and stepped aside from Griffin's leg with her stoic gaze. She even sat as Moonlight began to wander over and started to sniff around Griffin's belt. Griffin half stepped back when the Espeon did while Absol flicked her tail once more and half hoped the Espeon would go through the same thing she had. She wanted to see what his smug face would look like.

Calm. Absol had partially held her breath and narrowly breathed in. Like a silent whistle, one that she hid by leaning her head down, somberly. Plenty of people gave Griffin stares with Absol out and around. Many of them asked questions, some even threatened him solely by the way she looked.

She remembered one that made her stand between them; all she did was stare the human down. The police and Pokemon Center's weren't that good with it either, and that left her to twitch her ear and tilt her head.

They've been doing that since I came here because... they think Griffin is one of the bad guys. I just broke my own Pokeball and left us open. Did that thing plan this? Absol tsk'd with a gentle growl as a stranger approached them.

"Whoa, wicked look on the Absol." They expressed as Griffin sharpened his eye, then gave a small grin.

"Yeah, you like the look?" He asked and buried his hands into his pockets. "So, I want a little thrill fight, but everyone is too spoked because of her. This Absol? She's loyal, very loyal. So, I can't just let her go." Absol turned her head and realized something.

Moonlight went back into his Pokeball, Marill is there too. Leafeon is watching use from a far. We have an even team out here; a variety of types.

Absol rolled and cracked her shoulders as she lightly bared her teeth. Just the tips of the fangs passed her muzzle, her throat ached and rang as she coughed. It left her wide eyed, then she made a little snarl. That... hurt. I must've strained too much. The droplets touched the pavement below her as the strange young teen had tilted his head and stared at her.

"I would." The trainer replied as Griffin began to lightly laugh.

"Call it a prior engagement, I said she's loyal. Bottom line." Griffin continued to say as he fed his hands into his jacket pocket "Nothing beats power after all; loyalty is all you need." Absol twitched her ears and flicked her tail as her pelt shivered from spine down.

You believe that. But not the way you say it now. Absol twitched her ears as she shook out her otherwise mangy pelt and wore her scars with a moment of pride as the trainer looked down at her.

"Well... you got a Haxorus; that's been through some tough stuff. I got a feeling you must push them pretty hard if they look like this." Griffin silently shrugged and gently exhaled through his mouth. It left Absol to narrow her eyes.

He's mimicked my breathing; I don't think he realizes that. He knows that I'm calm, this teen looks like some idiot. A bit of a wannabe. I think you're maturing more then you know, Griffin.

"Well, you tell me; it's what you see ain't it?" Griffin then casually spoke in English, which left the other trainer in shock. He then followed up with his third language. Spanish. It made him tilt his head, the teen looked shocked in a way and seemed to think to himself.

"You remind me of that other fellow. Had a thick accent. What did he say, right... Rodnoy... Brat?" The teen tried to clear his throat and deepen the sound. Griffin coughed and nodded as Absol twitched her ear.

Natasha said that in Vermillion. Brother. She also said not to piss off the trainers from her home country. Logan made headlines in Japan... That son of a bitch must've heard about it, he's going to take Bandit; or try. I can tell by this human's tone that he knows them somehow. Absol's tail flicked and shimmered as Scarf had partially hidden behind Absol. He had been for the whole time.

He was the one that wouldn't fit in the picture of some new rough trainer in town. The thought left Absol to narrow her gaze as though to drive daggers into his throat.

Let me kill him Griffin, if we're trying to do this quietly. I need to kill him; get out of my way Absol's paw twitched and dug into the ground. It's like she buried into it with a crooked and hair covered smile. The kind that weight down by the plain eyed view of it all. Her claws touched and seeped into the dirt as her heart jostled from its numb slumber. Absol's scythe of a tail swung and chittered as Griffin made a jolt back. He was surprisingly reactive and attentive.

"Well come on, you want a battle; right?" Griffin expressed as and returned everyone back. It left a shiver to run down Absol's spine while Leafeon paced and prowled silently within the bushes. She was aware of it.

_Hm...? Smart. You're going to use Leafeon to cover me. You saw what I did in Vermillion, you know I have that kind of strength. Control it.

Control it._

Absol's eye had singed with a burn of red as her tail poised itself no different than a pike.

Give me the command, Griffin.

Absol twitched her tail once more as the other teen's poke ball went into the air. What happened next, was utterly surprising. Griffin said it in her ear as he playfully adjusted her bandana.

_"Throw the match. Make it believable. We can't draw attention to ourselves."_It's like Griffin had an eye for those kinds of trainers, however he had or why he did... Absol had obeyed him and fought with the evidential throw of the match. His Pokemon couldn't bear the idea of attacking her, even after she told them through snarled teeth. The kind that she kept low and pointed downward to hide her throat from view. A Pokemon told her that he knew something...

**_That back in Saffron City, a Mightyena Duo freed some Pokemon from Team Rocket. Many of them were from the fights and many recognize Bandit now...

Some have known Shadow even before Saffron._**

It left Absol to twitch her ear as she feigned a faint from a normal blow from any Pokemon. That idiot of a teenager ended up boasting and let something slip.

Something about deserted islands or just uninhabited ones along Sevii. Yet even as the trainer had begun to walk away with Griffin in silence and his hands in his pockets... Absol had a murderous intent crawl up her spine. As they began to wander after the fight, with that teen's smug look on his face in the distance; boasting about how he won, she solely let out a sigh and looked over her pelt.

"Did anything even hurt?" The Pikachu asked, but she held no response and solely clung to Griffin's side as her paw graced the bandana around her neck; the one he put on her...

Thief's Bandana.

Yet the scent which lingered over it left her to stall her steps and glance at the human next to her. Even as Brad and Melody just began to follow back, all of them talking together it left her warm; even as they followed the other teenager from a far.

Seo solely pushed the Bandana to her nose.

Just a hint and a grace of warmth touched her chest; a scent gently brushed against her nose in ways that left her eyes to dilate with even further resolution and drive. One that refused anything else but success; with Bandit's old scent seeped in the cloth around her throat.